Wadi Rum

After Petra we boarded the bus for a 47 km/1.5 hour drive south to Wadi Rum, our camp for the next two nights.  
Wadi Rum is a desert that borders Saudi Arabia.  It is 720 sq km (280 sq mi) and it is the largest wadi (valley) in Jordan.  It is truly a valley cut into sandstone and granite.  It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011.  Wadi Rum is filled with petroglyphs, inscriptions, and archaeological remains reflecting 12,000 years of human occupation.  

The bus took us to the edge of the desert and we boarded Jeeps to make the trip in – small trucks with seats in the back driven by Bedouins.  There was nothing but sand dunes, mountains and camps as far as we could see.

Our camp was further in than my friends had stayed before.  It was a newer camp and it was everything and more than I had dreamed of.  Rum Imagination Luxury Camp is a would visit again for me, 100%.  Our camp had tented suites, each with its own covered porch and rooftop deck, a dining hall and a large rug covered tented area for hanging around the campfire and other activities.

Once we got unpacked and settled into our rooms, we all headed out to see our first desert sunset.  We walked into the sand and hung out on the rocks until the last of the sunlight was gone. 

We made our way back to camp for a special dinner – Zarb.  Zarb is a traditional Bedouin style of cooking where meat and vegetables are cooked in an oven dug into the sand.  We made it back to see them dig it up!  The camp featured a large buffet style dinner with endless selections.

After dinner there was Bedouin tea made over a fire.  This is black tea along with a variety of spices (sage, thyme, mint, maybe cardamom) and sugar.  It is mixed and heated in a cast iron kettle.  I sat by the fire for a bit enjoying a few glasses.
As I settled into bed I wondered how I would sleep with the wind howling, but it didn’t take long to be lulled to sleep.

Our next day started with morning yoga under the tent followed by breakfast and then a very informative Ayurveda class.  Next up was lunch (Maqluba – a traditional Jordanian meal also known as ‘upside down’) and then time on my rooftop deck where I read and dozed.  Late afternoon we loaded up into the Jeeps again for a desert tour, I got to ride with one of our guides who shared tons of information.  We stopped at a beautiful cave and then made our way to a wind protected location for sunset yoga.  Yoga was followed by more tea that the Bedouins had made while we practiced and a gorgeous sunset/moon rise (did I mention it was a full moon!!).

We had another amazing dinner, tea and fire.  And I managed another good night’s sleep.  The next morning I decided to sleep in and missed yoga, but snagged some breakfast and more time outdoors relaxing before it was time to head out.

The beauty and magnitude of the dessert left me speechless.  As I was loading up two camels wandered right by my porch – just another day in the desert! While the land is severe and inhospitable, it is undeniably gorgeous.  Entering the dessert I was overwhelmed by a feeling of vulnerability and a little fear – the wind, being cut off from cell service and everyday society..  Once I let go and tuned into my surroundings I craved nothing more but additional time here.

Wadi Rum is believed to have been pass through by Moses as he trekked North from the Red Sea (more about Moses in a future post).  There are multiple references to Wadi Rum in the Bible by different names.  And many movies have been filmed here – Lawrence of Arabia, Red Planet, The Martian and Dune (to name a few).  Our guides shared that it is often chosen as a filming location over US deserts given the remoteness and overall lower cost.